


Triumph

by draconicsockpuppet



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Feels, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draconicsockpuppet/pseuds/draconicsockpuppet
Summary: Anakin makes a different choice in the Chancellor's office, and everything changes.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51
Collections: Chill Summer Exchange 2020





	Triumph

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peskylilcritter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peskylilcritter/gifts).



As cleanup on Geonosis continued in the wake of General Grievous's death, Obi-Wan checked his comm unit. The Holonet was buzzing with activity, and it didn't take him long to discover why.

The Supreme Chancellor was dead.

Obi-Wan read and listened to whatever reports he could find all the way to Coruscant. There was rioting in the streets, some accused the Jedi of a frame job, but the video from the Chancellor's office was difficult to deny. Sheev Palpatine had been a Sith, hiding a remarkable proficiency in multiple forms of lightsaber combat as well as summoning Force lightning, a hallmark of the Dark Side. Someone in the Confederacy had already leaked recordings of meetings between Palpatine and Dooku, further hammering in the point. The Chancellor's allies in the Senate were doing their best at damage control, but Senators Organa, Mothma, Amidala, and _their_ allies had used the opportunity to release their own evidence, and now the entire bureaucracy of the Republic was in an uproar.

It was maddening being so far from the action. Obi-Wan thought through his relations with the Chancellor over the years, from the initial Naboo incident, and – oh, Anakin. So many of those altercations with his padawan made sense now.

What had the Sith master said to Anakin Skywalker in all those private meetings? How many hooks had he latched within Obi-Wan's dearest friend?

Mace Windu and Vokara Che were there to meet him as he landed his Aethersprite in one of the Temple hangers.

"I came back as soon as I could," Obi-Wan said as he climbed down the ladder to the landing pad.

"It's good to see you, old friend," Mace said. As Obi-Wan came closer, Mace pulled him into a tight hug. Obi-Wan stared at Master Che, standing behind him; the Twi'lek healer shrugged helplessly.

"Are you… well?" Obi-Wan asked when Mace finally released him.

"The war is over and Darth Sidious is dead," Mace said. "I've never been better."

"Lies," Master Che broke in. "Master Windu should be in the infirmary."

"I'm fine," Mace said, but as Obi-Wan looked closer, he saw that Mace was trembling.

Master Che gestured sharply at the hover chair beside her. Mace grimaced and sat down.

"Listen to the healers," Obi-Wan said. "I'm worried about Anakin. Have you seen him?"

"Master Skywalker accompanied Senator Amidala to a private medcenter," Mace said.

Obi-Wan swallowed. "Anakin's been made a Master? He's only twenty-four, Mace!"

"It's not official yet, but Master Yoda and I have agreed. He's confronted the Dark Side, tasted its temptations, and yet chose the Light." Mace raised a single eyebrow. "Besides, you turned out okay."

There was really nothing Obi-Wan could say to that.

Senator Amidala's security team triple checked his credentials before they let him pass. The senator had a floor to herself in one of the thin spires surrounding the medcenter core, and as Obi-Wan stepped out of the lift he could hear her voice.

"We could have done this at home."

"I had a dream about you dying in childbirth. Like I dreamed about my mother."

"Oh, Ani."

Silence as Obi-Wan walked through the stately foyer. Through a wide arch on one side of the foyer was a bedroom, and on the bed, the senator lay wrapped in crisp blankets with two babes in her arms. Anakin sat by her side, gazing down with an affection that Obi-Wan could no longer deny. Then his head jerked up.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Anakin. Senator." Obi-Wan stepped through the arch with a nod. "I'm so glad to see you." He could see the tension in Anakin's body, feel his padawan's agitation in the Force.

"I… I have something to tell you, Master." Anakin stood with the same nervous posture that Obi-Wan recognized from when his padawan was eleven and left droid parts all over his quarters again.

"So do I." Obi-Wan reached out and pulled Anakin into a hug. He rested his forehead on Anakin's shoulder and whispered, "I am so, so sorry I left you with that man."

"What?" Anakin stiffened further, then relaxed and brought up his arms to hold Obi-Wan back. "Oh, the Chancellor! That isn't what I thought you were going to say."

"His history with Sheev Palpatine is a whole nest of Gundarks that Anakin is going to discuss with the Jedi Healers once we go home," Senator Amidala broke in. " _Right_ , Ani?"

"Yeah." Anakin laughed a little as Obi-Wan stepped back. "Are you okay, Obi-Wan?"

"Congratulations," Obi-Wan told the senator, ignoring the moisture brimming in his eyes. "Given their father, I'm sure they'll be a handful once they're old enough to toddle around." He ignored the sudden softening of Anakin's face too as he went on. "By all means, let me know if I can help in any way. I do have experience with bright young children that are strong in the Force."

"We certainly will." Senator Amidala laughed and handed one swaddled baby to Anakin, then the other. The second woke up just enough to complain with a brief cry. "For now, you can take Ani and Luke and Leia out and let me get some sleep, okay?"

Obi-Wan nodded.

Anakin awkwardly followed him out, hitting the control panel on the arch with his elbow as he passed to activate the sleeping quarters' privacy barrier. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Obi-Wan," he complained as he sat on a divan in the foyer.

"Neither did I. You'll learn." Obi-Wan held out his hands. "Who is this youngling?"

"Ah!" Anakin handed one of the babies up to him. "This is Luke."

Luke blinked up at Obi-Wan and then yawned.

"And this young lady is Leia," Anakin continued as he took Luke back and passed the other baby up. "She's the loud one."

It was Obi-Wan's turn to blink as he took the baby's weight into his arms. She wrapped one tiny hand around his thumb and stared up at him with determination.

 _You're going to be trouble._ Obi-Wan smiled down at the newborn. _And I look forward to every minute._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Demitas for beta reading.


End file.
